Resolute Return
by Genesic
Summary: A rewrite of "The Return", but with major differences. A continuation of the Tatarigoroshi arc, in which Keiichi wakes from a six year coma, and returns to Hinamizawa in order to search for someone. But his life may be in more danger than he knows.
1. Awakening

It's been a while folks, but I still don't own anything from Higurashi. So quit asking!

* * *

_At first, all is dark, I can't see anything, nor can I feel anything. But I can hear, I can definitely hear. Yet.... I'd do anything to not hear at this moment._

_But there's no such luck, I can hear it all around me: White noise, the sound of a rushing river. It's as if I've been engulfed by the sound, like it's flooding my senses. But.... that's not the only noise I hear. The other sound that reaches my ears is far more terrifying to me._

"_Fall! Fall!" The noise assaults my mind again, the words having an overwhelming effect on me. Each word feels like a blow to the stomach, or more. _

_And slowly, the darkness begins to lift, but it only serves to worsen my state._

_It's below me, I can see it: A powerful river, waiting to swallow me. Every part of it's deadly form seems to beckon me closer, to my death. Unable to bear the sight, I look up, and realize my situation for the first time._

_I am not on solid ground at all, instead I am hanging on a cable from the bridge above. The bridge is shaking, and the reason fills me sorrow._

_A young girl, tears in her eyes, is shaking the bridge, shouting for me to fall. "Fall! Fall and die!" She repeats the words like a mantra, her eyes wide with rage._

_Why? Why is she doing this? Why does she want me to fall? WHY!? What could I have ever done to deserve something like this!? Is that it? Was it something I did? Or is it all her fault? I don't want to die. That's all I truly know, I don't want to die. So.....why?_

_She's putting every ounce of her being into her attempt to kill me, my death is her greatest desire. How terrifying._

"_I don't want to fall! Why are you doing this!?" I want to shout, but my mouth does not open. I can't feel it, but I can see my grip weakening._

_The river seems to grow louder with hunger._

_My eyes linger on her face. Everything about her... seems so familiar, so close to me. Why would anyone like that want to kill me? Suddenly, I'm certain I know her._

_I lose my grip, and fall._

"_Sato...ko." It's the first time I hear myself speak, and I'm certain it's the last._

_The river looms closer, it's body growing even larger as I speed towards it. I can feel it's happiness at my misfortune. It's over for me now!_

_My eyes remained locked on the girl's, refusing to look away._

_WHY!? What did I do to deserve this!? Why do I have to die!? I know, that whatever I've done, it's not enough to deserve this! It's the fault of this town! The fault of this twisted Hinamizawa! It should just perish!_

_The water is cold and hard._

_--_

"AHH!" I sit up, shouting louder than I've ever thought I could. What was that? What was that dream I just had? I'm still groggy, my eyes are glued shut, and I feel like I've put on thirty extra pounds. I do my best to get out of the covers that are twisted around my body(I've always had that problem when I sleep.). The result is me falling out of my bed, and onto cold floor. Wait.... Cold floor? That can't be right. Can it?

As I finally force my eyes open, I take a look at my surroundings. The walls are a faint and boring blue, all without a scratch on them, all forming a perfect square shape. Small rays of sunlight, filtered by the tall buildings out the open window, light the room with a calm feeling. This room would generally be very calming, but I only feel panic. For a second I think of the clinic, but this place is nothing like it.

"Where am I?" I ask myself. "What the?!" I give a small jump in surprise. My voice, it's... different, older sounding. "Is this really my voice?" I ask myself in the same strange voice. "I sound like an adult." My throat feels extremely raspy as I speak.

I shakily bring myself to stand up, my body still feels so heavy. I notice the large hospital bed that I had been sleeping on, the covers are all over the ground. I feel a cold breeze, and notice that I'm wearing a patient's gown. "What's going on?" I'm beginning to get used to my new voice. I notice a mirror on the far wall, and slowly make my way towards it. With a deep breath, I look into the small mirror.

Who is this person? Is this...me? I look so much older. I stand a great deal taller than I used too, but I don't look particularly built. My face is more hardened, more mature. My hair is actually shorter than I remember it being. Was it cut recently? By who?

"What the hell is going on here!?" I shout.

"What's with all this commotion?" A man wearing a doctor's uniform enters the room. "Keiichi!?" He gasps. "You're actually awake!?" He seems stunned. He is an averaged sized man, with clean-cut brown hair and slightly squinted eyes.

"Who are you!?" I shout. "Where am I!? What am I doing here!? Where's everybody else!?" My breathing suddenly becomes erratic, I'm literally gasping for air. I can feel all my panic constricting about my lungs, squeezing off my air.

He quickly moves towards me. "Calm down Keiichi, or you'll go into shock!" He nudges me towards the bed. "Sit down, you just need to calm down."

I sit on the bed, it's really quite soft. My breathing slowly returns to normal, and I begin to feel better.

"Alright, you should be okay for now." The man smiles at me. "But don't get too worked up, your body might not be able to handle it." He warns. "You may call me Dr. Miuchi."

"Dr. Miuchi." I take a deep calming breath, before asking my first question. "Why am I here?"

He let's out a deep sigh, and massages his temples. "Keiichi..." He begins slowly.

The look he gives me fills me with dread. "What? What is it!?"

"You were found washed up on a riverbed, a good distance from Hinamizawa." He explains. "You were then brought to this hospital, in order to recover."

"That makes sense." I nod my head. "But where's my parents? Or any of my friends? Has anybody come to visit me?" I ask.

He stares at me, as if judging if I'm up for what he's about to say. "That very night you were found, something happened in Hinamizawa, something....terrible."

My hands tighten on the covers of the bed, I can feel the icy dread all over my body. "What? What happened?"

"According to the government, volcanic gasses were released into the air. The gasses filled Hinamizawa." He pinches the bridge of his nose anxiously. "And... everybody in Hinamizawa died that night."

....What?...

"That can't...be." I mumble. "It's got to be a lie." Everything suddenly feels so surreal.

"I'm sorry... it's the truth." He gestures to me. "Just look at yourself if you want proof. Surely you've noticed. You're older now... a little over six years older to be exact. You've been in a comatose state all this time."

"Six years!? That long!?" I shout, putting my head into my hands. My breathing becomes erratic again, much worse this time. I can't get myself to calm down. Could everybody really be dead?

"Keiichi?" Dr. Miuchi stares at me. "Keiichi!" He shouts, as I begin to cough.

My vision begins to grow fuzzy, my entire body wracked by my coughing. The last thing I see is Dr. Miuchi running out of the room for assistance.

"Am I really... the only one left?"

--

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Satoko... she's apologizing now. Her eyes are full of tears, and she's clutching the curtain in the classroom._

_I remember, I remember this now. This is what her uncle, what that __**bastard**__ did to her. This is what drove me over the edge in the first place. This is why I tried to.... No. This is why I killed him._

_Satoko... You've never deserved to feel anything like this. You haven't done anything wrong. It wasn't your fault that things turned out the way they did, Satoko. I killed your uncle because you deserve so much more than that man._

_The classroom begins to fade away, but Satoko's still there, standing right in front of me._

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She continues to apologize. Why?_

_She's all alone now isn't she? She died, just like everyone else in Hinamizawa._

_Except me..._

_I'm sorry Satoko. I was never supposed to abandon you. None of this was your fault. I don't even blame you for pushing me off the bridge._

"_**But shouldn't you blame her for that? Shouldn't you despise her for that? Nobody considered your feelings. Why should you consider their's? You should be glad they're all dead!"**_

_--_

"Huh?" I wake up with a sudden jolt. I can feel cold sweat on my forehead.

I'm back in the hospital bed, wrapped tightly in the blankets. It's night time now, but the room is still lit by the lights of the city.

"What was that... just now?" I mutter to myself. For just one moment.... I was filled with rage towards everybody, towards the world. What a terrible feeling.

"Keiichi? Are you awake now?" Dr. Miuchi asks, stepping into the room. He's holding a packet of papers in his hands.

"Dr. Miuchi?" I ask. "What just happened?"

"The anxiety was too much for you, and you had a panic attack." He explains.

"Oh... Is that so?" I feel terrible, the reality of everything is suddenly hitting me.

"I brought these for you." He hands me the papers. "It's an official report on the incident in Hinamizawa. I thought you might have wanted to see for yourself."

"Thank you." I read through them carefully, praying for something amiss in the report. Everything matches up with Dr. Miuchi's account. I can feel all my hope fading away with each word I read. Suddenly, I notice something. "One body not found." I repeat to myself, unable to grasp what the words actually mean.

"That's right." Dr. Miuchi peers at the section I'm reading. "They couldn't find one person, no matter how much they looked. It was a young girl, I believe."

"A young girl?!" I try not to let myself get too excited with this news. "What was her name!? Please! What was her name!?" I plead.

Dr. Miuchi closes his eyes in concentration, trying to recall the child's name. "I believe it was..... Sato... Satoko." He nods his head.

"Satoko!?" I shout. She might still be alive! I might not be the only one left after all! "That means that, that...!" I can feel my lungs act up again.

Dr. Miuchi notices my condition. "It's best you get some rest for the moment. We have a lot of talking to do tomorrow." He begins to exit the room. "Please Keiichi, for tonight, just try to get some sleep." He leaves the room.

But no matter what I do, I can't get to sleep. Is Satoko still alive? Am I alone? What happened in Hinamizawa? Was it really just volcanic gasses? Or was it something more? There's no way I can rest with all of these thoughts in my head.

I sit up, my mind finally made up. There's only one way for me to ever let these matters rest. There's only one way for me to get peace of mind, and be sure that I've done everything I can. Only one thing can truly be done at this point.

"I have to return to Hinamizawa."

* * *

Wow~! This sure is nostalgic! Hi everybody! How's it going!? I'm finally back, and I feel a bit more skilled than before(Read:bit).

My second fic in the Higurashi area, and it's still kinda the first. How strange. But this story is going to be Muuu~ch different, I promise you that. So... this is kinda "The Return DX(Director's Cut? Special edition?)", I hope we enjoy ourselves with this one.

For those who didn't read the original version of this story: The plot is basically a "What if" continuation of the Tatarigoroshi arc(The one with Satoko and her jackass uncle). Everybody but Keiichi(and possibly Satoko), died in Hinamizawa(his parents returned to Hinamizawa the day it happened). There will be many things that seem a lot different in this, but I promise I'll do my best to make it be a worthwhile read.

I finally decided to end the polls, and the most votes went to "End Yet Unseen". But I wasn't so sure I wanted it to be quite like that. So I spent a very long time thinking up ideas, when I finally realized that I didn't have to delve into an entirely new territory. Instead, I decided to remake one of my favorite stories, but add much more to it.

To put it simply, there will be more characters, better writing style, more plot, and hopefully it'll just be plain better all around. I still don't think I want any OCs(other than Miuchi of course) in this story, but if I ever do use one, it'll only be for minor purposes(like a medical worker or something). The plot is going to be very interesting this time around, so be prepared for it!

I'm not taking down the original version of this story though, seeing as it'll be vastly different from this version. Plus, I still have a spot in my heart for that story, and I hope this will encourage others to give it a chance too(I suggest reading it after this is done though, it would still spoil some things).

I hope that I've gotten at least a little better at writing since I was last here. If not, oh well.

So please enjoy yourselves, drop a review(if you want), and I'll try to make the next chapter even better.


	2. Preparations

If I owned Higurashi, you could be assured that there would be at least 3 giant mechs per episode.

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AnimeXploiter: Thanks for the compliment. Nice to see you...again ;P I hope that you'll enjoy this version of the story, and I also hope you enjoyed the original too. Thanks for reviewing.

Japaneserockergirl: Thanks for the compliment. I totally see what you're saying with the word flow, for some reason I can't seem to nail it right now. The emotions are also eluding me. If it's not too much to ask: please comment whenever you see more problems(there's probably around 100 in this chapter alone), and suggest any ideas you might have to help correct them. And thanks for reviewing.

Tails-Coyote-Carnivore: Am I being threatened? Have I done something to ask for this? Why me!? Police! Just kidding. Don't worry, it's definitely gonna change, not to mention go further then the last one. Thanks for reviewing.

Randomreviews?: It's nice to hear from someone who enjoyed the last version. I didn't get any reviews from you on that one, but I'm very happy to get one from you on this one. I'll do my best not to let you down with this story. Thanks for reviewing.

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"Wow! This general store has everything!" I shout, scanning all of the different items inside the huge store around me. "I haven't been to a place this huge in a long time." I smile to Dr. Miuchi who brought me here.

"You should be able to find whatever supplies you need for your journey here." Dr. Miuchi smiles at me. "Don't worry about the expenses, your parents left behind quite a sum for you."

"Yeah..." I'd rather be poor, as long as I could have them back. But at least I'll be able to put this money to good use. "I think I want to buy some clothes first, these don't really suit me." I gesture to the business suit I'm wearing(courtesy of Dr. Miuchi). "No offense."

"None taken." Dr. Miuchi let's out a cheerful laugh. "My wife and daughter always get on me about the stuffy clothing I wear."

"Oh, so you're married?"

"M-hm. They mean the world to me." He smiles with just the recollection of his loved ones.

"Ah~ how lucky can one get? That such a stiff gets a loving family." I mock.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." The kind doctor chuckles. "How about these?" He asks, gesturing to a rack of boring looking suits.

"Maybe for a business meeting, but I think I'll go with what I used to wear." I laugh, grabbing a set of clothing that looks similar to my old wear(red sleeveless shirt, green shorts), but larger sized.

"You really are still like a kid."

"Well I'll probably still feel like one for a few years."

"True, true."

"Who knows, maybe I'll come back an adult?"

"Maybe..." He suddenly falls silent. "So you're really going to go through with it, something this dangerous?" His tone is wrought with concern. "I'm not one for superstitions, but everybody else seems to believe that town is cursed. Hinamizawa has been practically untouched for the past six years. And you still want to go there?"

"Yes." I nod my head.

"Even though your chances of actually finding anything are next to nothing?"

"It'd be harder to just sit here, and act like nothing happened." I clench and unclench my fists. I'm not being brave in saying this, I truly mean each word I'm saying.

"Well if you're so resolute in your decision, then I won't stop you." He shakes his head in resignation.

"Thanks, but what about you? Are you sure it's okay for you to help me like this?" I can't help but ask this question. I don't want to ask too much of someone who's been so kind to me. I never even thought that I'd have someone be so willing to help me.

"The hospital staff might be mad at me for taking you out so soon, but I've been working with them for a long time now. And I don't think anyone there would let word slip out about you waking up, so you don't have to worry about being swarmed by press asking about the "Sole Survivor", at least not until you're already in Hinamizawa."

"Wow... You've really thought this out, haven't you?" I ask incredulously.

"Just a part of being an adult. You'll know soon enough."

"Will I start getting grey hair soon too?"

"If you're not careful, you won't live that long."

"Moving on then! What else should I bring on my trip?"

"You should also have food, some basic survival tools, and maybe some kind of weapon...just in case." He suggests.

"Good idea! I think I know a good idea for the weapon." I laugh.

"Really? Well I'll take care of the others then. I'll pick you up something to carry everything in too." He smiles, before walking off in another direction.

"Well then, I'll be off to look at the sporting goods section." I call out, before going to look for my weapon of choice.

The sporting goods section is exceptionally large. All kinds of equipment fills the area to the brim. It's hard enough to even walk around.

It'd be nice to come back here one day, when I can look at this area and just think of fun things, but what I need right now is a weapon. I don't think I'll really encounter any dangers in Hinamizawa, but it's always best to be prepared. I want something I'm comfortable with, but not something that will guarantee someone's death. So the choice for me is obvious: The bat.

I choose a decent sized, metallic baseball bat. It sits there on the rack, as if waiting for me. I slowly reach out with my hands and grasp it.

The cold metal....I remember this feeling.

Suddenly my mind is filled with memories! The last time I held one of these! The day I killed Satoko's uncle! I can still see his face, contorted with fear! And then I'm killing him! Shouting with each strike! I can see it! I can see the blood on my hands!

"_**That's right. You killed him, and you enjoyed every second of it! He deserved his death! Everyone who betrayed you deserves death!"**_

"Agh!" I clutch my head in pain. My breathing's become shallow suddenly, Dr. Miuchi told me that I was still somewhat unstable. Just what is this voice I'm hearing!?

"Are you okay?" A concerned adult voice asks.

I calm my breathing enough to look at who's addressing me: It's a man I've never met before.

His hair is dark, and around medium length. His eyes are kind looking, but they have a strength to them, as if he's been through many hardships. He stands a few inches above me, peering down with concern.

"Yeah... I think I'm okay." I wheeze, the brunt of the episode now gone. "I'll be okay, thanks for your concern."

His eyes widen slightly when he sees my face. "Have we...met before?" He asks.

"I don't think so." I shake my head. He looks new to me.

"Yeah you're right. But I might have seen a photo of you or something to that effect." He closes his eyes in concentration.

This is bad. What if he knows me from the newspapers or something? What if everyone finds out I'm awake already? I won't be able to get to Hinamizawa!

"Hmm..." He continues to think.

"Papa!" A small voice chimes in. A young girl comes running up, and tugs on the man's shirt.

"Huh? Oh! Miyuki! There you are!" He laughs nervously.

"Don't try and pull that with me." She growls at him.

"Right, right. Papa's sorry." He rubs the back of his head. It's like he's suddenly transformed into child, one that's being scolded by it's mom. He turns to me and bows. "Sorry then, I'll be going now Mr..."

"Keiichi." I smile. He seems like a trustworthy guy.

"Keiichi..." He mumbles, once again lost in thought.

"Come on Papa! We have to go! You finally got a vacation, so we're going to see _all_ the sights here." The girl shouts, pulling on the man's coat.

"Oh right, right. Sorry Miyuki... All of them? Really?" He laughs nervously.

"Yes, all of them. You promised." She gives him a dangerous look."Sorry about Papa Mister, he can get a little strange sometimes." The child apologizes. "But he's really a good person."

"Oh don't worry about it!" I laugh, feeling slightly put on the spot. I wave them off as they walk away, the girl tugging the man along. "Well that was interesting." I chuckle to myself. And suddenly I realize that holding the bat doesn't fill me with dread anymore. Just an effect that certain people have on you, I guess.

"Have you found something to use?" Dr. Miuchi comes walking up to me, arms filled with different items. He examines the bat in my hands. "That should be fine, I don't think you'll even have to use it anyway." He nods his head. "I've got all the essentials for you. If by chance you run into any problems, then you might be able to find supplies in the buildings down in Hinamizawa."

"Nice thinking." I grin. Even though this is serious business, I find myself getting excited despite myself. It's almost like a game, to see how well I fare. If so, then this will be easy. I am a prodigy after all!

"Anything else you want to bring?" He asks.

"I think this is more than enough." I laugh, pointing to his arms.

"One can never be too careful." He chuckles. "All right then, let's go and purchase all these supplies. After that, I'll give you a ride part-way. You can borrow my bike after that." He walks off towards the register.

"All right! Let's get this show on the road." I grin, before running to catch up with him.

Satoko, I'll be there soon. I've got this feeling, I know you're there...... you have to be.

--

"Alright then, we're just about to our destination." Dr. Miuchi looks over to me from the driver's seat.

We're now both sitting in Dr. Miuchi's car, speeding along towards Hinamizawa. We've been in the car for a while now, and I'm beginning to feel a bit sore.

"You sure you're okay with me taking your bike?" I ask, squirming uncomfortably.

"Of course, I haven't ridden that thing in years." He laughs.

"I'll put it to good use." I grin.

"See that you do." We fall silent for a moment, neither sure of what to say.

"You know... it's still not too late to turn back." He breaks the silence first.

"It was too late for me the second I heard about Satoko." I do my best to smile, but it still feels like a frown to me.

"I hope I don't come to regret letting you know." He shakes his head.

"Don't worry. I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself." I smirk.

"Tell me that when you learn to wear clothes suited for adults." He chuckles.

"I'll have you know that this is **the** original "Keiichi Maebara" look." I gesture to my clothes.

"I'll take your word for it." He shakes his head.

"We're almost there." I change the topic. I can feel it now, Hinamizawa drawing closer, calling out to me. But...what? What's calling out to me? "There's a dirt road just a little bit ahead, you can drop me off there." I point ahead.

"Alright then." He nods his head, falling silent again. "You know," He starts again. "Once you return, my family and I would love to have you over for dinner."

"That sounds good, but make sure you have room for two." I give a cliche thumbs-up(accompanied with cheesy wink).

"It'll be hard to even get to you though: by now, word of you waking has probably spread. You'll be a pretty big deal, at least for a while." He sighs.

"Really?" I sigh in the same manner he does. "Just what I need, people whose goal is to annoy me."

"Don't worry. The press tires of everything eventually, it's only a matter of time."

"I've already wasted six years in bed! The last thing I need to do is go into hiding for another six!" Why is it that I can never get a break?

And now I can see it, the all-to-familiar dirt road coming into view. I'm almost there, I'm almost there. The dirt path is almost perfectly level, undisturbed for all these past years. The tall trees loom overhead, as if enclosing Hinamizawa from the rest of the world.

"All right then." Dr. Miuchi says, bringing the car to a stop. "I take it this is the place?"

"Yeah..." I mumble, slowly crawling out of the car, my sore body grateful to finally be allowed to stretch. I get that surreal feeling again, like this is nothing more than a dream.

"You grab the supplies, I'll grab the bike from the trunk." Dr. Miuchi says, before moving towards the back of the car.

"Alright." I mumble again, opening the door to the car. I grab the bag full of supplies and the bat, before closing the door to the car. I turn around, to see an old-looking bike in front of me.

"It's a bit old, but it should get the job done." Dr. Miuchi laughs, patting the bike.

"Well let's hope so." I stare at the junky old bike. "Because if I die while riding this thing, I'll definitely come back to haunt you."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay from here on?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Besides, you've already done so much for me." I reassure him. "I don't even know why you've gone through _this _much for me."

"I'm not so sure either." He shakes his head. "I was there the first day you came into the hospital. You were so young, and you had gone through so much. I wanted to do whatever I could to help you, so I promised to do what I could for you if you ever woke up."

"Thank you." I clap a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad that I've had someone looking out for me all this time." I clamber onto the bike, supply sack slung around my shoulder, bat clutched with both hands across the handle bars. "I'll definitely be back. And I'll find a way to pay you back for all of this one day"

He stares at me for a minute, as if confirming something. "Alright then, just make sure to come back and join my family for dinner. We'll call it even after that." He smirks.

"Just make sure you serve something other than curry!" I shout, pedaling away down the dirt path.

Dr. Miuchi's waving form slowly shrinks and fades away. And once again, I'm alone, but it won't be for so long this time. I'm sure of it.

_I'm coming, Satoko._

_

* * *

  
_

Another chapter down! Hi-five!

I liked this one, even if it's nothing more than a transition chapter. I got to put more details into everything, so that was something fun.

My stupid computer erased half of this chapter though, so I had to rewrite the entire freaking part! Darn you evil computer!! I'll have your job for this!! I hope that the rewritten portion is somewhat superior to what I already had, but I guess we'll never be able to tell.

I introduced another Higurashi character in the mix in this chapter, but it might be hard to realize who it is. Those who have read the manga might realize who it was though, but don't spoil it!!! Either way, this character is part of the "MAJOR CHANGES" in this story, so look forward to it.

I had trouble with Keiichi's personality in this one. It's just such an unusual situation, that I wasn't sure how to portray him. Hopefully it'll be easier as soon as he's back in Hinamizawa.

I hope this chapter is okay, I'll work harder on the next one. Please drop a review in if you have the time, criticism fuels me to improve, and compliments fuel me to write faster(hence getting more compliments faster, I'm greedy!!). I hope I see you all again next time!


	3. I'm Home

Until the day I change my name to 7th Expansion, I do not own Higurashi.

Cicada of the Dark -SacredHero-: I'm glad you like this one. It's kinda a pseudo-sequel, I guess. And a very happy(late) birthday to you! I'm glad I chose to update on such a day! I hope you continue to keep reading. And thanks for reviewing.

Tails-Coyote-Carnivore: *Hi-fives back* I guess it really was a good day to update! I hope you enjoyed your trip(wherever you went). Was it Akasaka? Well you'll just have to read this chapter and find out. Thanks for reviewing.

Japaneserockergirl: Well goody goody for you then! Yeah, the bat part could have been more vivid, but I plan to use that one again eventually, and that's when it'll be more graphic. But I still could of had it somewhat more vivid this time anyways, so I'll work harder on matters like that in the future! Really, my wording improved? That's fantastic! I hope it hasn't gone back to mush(oatmeal?) in this chapter, here's hoping! I accept your half-cookie! *devours* Please continue along with the helpful ideas. Thanks for reviewing.

* * *

"Nice to know that the ride isn't any shorter than it used to be." I remark to myself sarcastically. I've been pedaling for what seems like hours now. My legs are beginning to get extremely sore, and the fact that my body is heavier than I used to remember it being does not help at all. To go from a six year sleep to an enormously straining bike ride may not be the best thing for me. When this is all over, I'm definitely going to get another few years of sleep.

The sun is beginning to go down, it's behemoth for slowly sinking behind the mountains. The sky is a vivid pink, the clouds a dark purple.

"I'm almost there." I mumble. I can suddenly remember this part of the path, I'm much closer to the town than I thought! In fact, I should be able to see it down below anytime now.

This part of the road is much easier to ride on, seeing as it's downhill now. All the scenery speeds by, as I rush down towards the valley below. The trees blur, and I have to focus to avoid falling off the bike(piece of junk).

And suddenly I see it. Hinamizawa, bathed in the radiance of the sky above. It looks so beautiful from where I am, perfectly serene in the valley below. But it's not the same peace that the village once had, it's something much different now. Something....terrifying.

"I'm coming back." I speak without even registering it. This is for real, I'm actually returning. But there's not much to return to. My friends, my family, the villagers; they're all gone! Am I just returning to nothingness?

_There's still Satoko._ The thought flows into my mind, providing me with a ray of hope.

That's right, Satoko might still be alive. But what will I do if she is alive? Just what has she gone through these past years? What can I do for her?

My mind drifts off, a powerful memory surfacing.

_Satoko stands in front of me, unwilling to look into my eyes. I can see bruises all over her. Bruises on her arms, her face, everywhere that __**bastard**__ hit her! She refuses to look at me, but I can still see how terrified she is just to be here._

"_I...won't run away." I mutter, fists clenched at my sides in anger. I can hardly look at her without rage seizing my entire body._

"_?" She looks at me in confusion._

"_Unlike Satoshi...I absolutely won't run away." I look her straight in the eye, showing my resolve. "I won't abandon you!" I watch her closely, to see her reaction._

"_Thank you..." She whispers quietly, looking towards the ground at her feet. Her tears fall to the ground below, one drop after another. And then she looks up, and smiles at me despite the tears running from her eyes._

_I don't say anything. How can I? She's trying her hardest to be strong, but I can still see the fear in her strained smile. This feeling of frustration, it's unbearable._

_And so I make another vow to myself, silently this time._

_No matter what happens, I will protect Satoko._

"Protect...her." I sound the words out, as if they were some kind of alien idea. "Protect Satoko." I nod my head in approval. For now, that's all I need to do. I can worry about the rest later, I just need to protect Satoko! Even if she still hates me and fears me, I'll do whatever I can to clear my name. And if that doesn't work, I'll protect her anyways!

I stop the bike for a second, climbing off and taking a deep breath of air. "You can't beat the air of this place." I chuckle to myself.

Hinamizawa's closer than ever now. It's practically a stone's throw away. I can see the first few of the buildings, now looking old and run-down. Although I can't see too much of the village from this view, I can still feel that weird vibe from it.

"Everyone, I'm back." I stare at the town up ahead. "And....I'm sorry. Whether it's my fault or not, I'm sorry that all of this happened." I force my eyes shut, but a few tears still run down my face.

The thoughts of my friends fill me with grief. All the happiness we had, all the laughs we shared, all the fun times spent together; all of them are gone. Why did something so terrible have to happen to us? We didn't do anything wrong. So...why?

I suddenly start to cough again, my irregular breathing makes my chest hurt. My lungs feel like they're on fire!

Dr. Miuchi warned me that my condition wasn't fully stable yet, and that certain states of mind would cause my lungs to act up. He advised me to take deep breaths, and calm my emotions down whenever I started to cough.

I follow his advice, breathing slowly and calming my mind. My cough slowly dissipates, and I feel much calmer too. "Thanks again Dr. Miuchi." I smile to myself. I really do owe him for a lot of things.

And as my mind begins to calm, my resolve begins to strengthen once more. All of my happy times in Hinamizawa, they truly were a blessing. Each one of those memories is a priceless treasure to me. I owe it to everyone, for allowing me to have such precious moments, to do everything I can.

So I take a deep breath, and smile, a true smile.

"Alright then, no more delays. It's time to go." I tell myself, climbing back on top of the bike. I move at a slow pace, afraid that something might happen if I move to fast. But the village grows closer anyways.

And suddenly I'm there, inside of Hinamizawa.

I slowly climb off of the bike, in a strange state of awe. My eyes take in all my surroundings, each site a different memory. I truly am back in Hinamizawa now, and it might be a while until I leave. I can't be sure, but I know that there's a lot that needs to be done.

"I'm home..."

---

"Can't you get it yourself Papa?" Miyuki asks, hands on her hips, fixing me with a critical glare.

"But Miyu~ki!" I whine in the most pathetic tone I can muster. "I'm so tired from all the sight-seeing today. Can't you even get your beloved papa just one single drink?" I give a small sniffle, fixing my eyes on her own.

"..." She continues to glare at me for a moment, her cheeks puffed out in a cute little pout. "Fine." She grumbles, taking a single bill out of my wallet and exiting the room.

I allow myself to grin the second she leaves the room. I stretch out, and allow myself to recline in a more comfortable position. "Ah~! Staying at the Hot Springs really is the best!" I moan, reveling in my own content. The night air feels cool, especially while I'm wearing this comfortable robe(AN:Hakama? I think?).

Why don't I go on more vacations like these? I don't think I've ever been so comfortable in my life. I'll definitely have to make plans for more of these in the future.

But today certainly was eventful. Miyuki and I went all over, looking at every single thing that had even some small acclaim. "But I guess I do owe it to her..." I mutter to myself, turning the tv on with a click of the remote. It's been a while since I've spent any quality time with Miyuki(precious daughter, light of my life). I'm worried that she's going to grow apart from me someday, and I don't think I'm strong enough to deal with that! "She wouldn't....abandon me.....would she?" I mutter.

"What are you grumbling about now?" Miyuki's voice chimes in. She stands in the doorway with that same skeptical look on her face.

"Ah, nothing." I mumble abashed, taking the drink(Oolong Tea) from her hands, as she walks over to me.

"You can be strange sometimes Papa." She chuckles to herself. Her attention turns towards the tv. "What are you watching right now?"

"Nothing in particular, just browsing around." I grin, continuing to flip through the channels.

"You should really learn to just stick with a show." She grimaces, sitting down next to me.

"Aw don't be like that. Come on, why don't you sit on Papa's lap?" I pat my knee and smile.

Her face flushes with embarrassment. "W-What do you think I am!? Five!?" She shouts.

"But you were willing to do it when you were eight.... Besides, it's not like there's anyone here to see you." I whimper again. I'm just one of those clingy parents, I guess.

"That's besides the point. I'm growing up you know?" She frowns at me, but still walks over and seats herself on my lap.

"Now was that so hard?" I tease.

"Hmph!" She ignores me, but I can tell she's happy. After all, she's still my little girl under this big-girl image of hers.

I stroke her hair happily. "You know, I used to do this with your mother." I smile at the memory, still so fresh in my mind's eye.

"Really?" She looks back at me, anger forgotten.

"Yep." I chuckle at her curiosity. "Her hair was so long and beautiful, your hair is just like it, only shorter." I smile.

Miyuki smiles back at me, obviously happy with this bit of knowledge. She goes back to happily watching the tv, and is silent for a while. "Hey papa?" She suddenly asks. "Who was that man you were talking to today?"

"Which man?" I ask, not really thinking.

"The one at that huge store we went to. Remember? He looked pretty young, and his eyes seemed kinda mysterious." She looks back at me as she explains.

"Oh right!....Mysterious? You think so? Or are you just saying he was attractive?" I smirk.

"It's nothing like that!" She shouts, hitting me in embarrassment.

"He told me his name was Maebara Keiichi. Other than that, I don't know anything." I shake my head.

"Maebara Keiichi....." She puts her hand to her chin in thought. "Why does that name seem familiar?" She mutters.

"You thought so too?" I ask, hoping she might remember where she heard the name.

"I think I've read his name somewhere before. Where was it?" She scrunches her face up in concentration(my daughter is the cutest!).

"Well there's no point in worrying about it right now. It'll probably come to us eventually." I ruffle her hair, and resume my rest.

The tv show we're watching is rather boring(to me at least), and my vision begins to get blurry. Before I even realize it, I fall asleep.

_Everything's dark, uncomfortably dark. All my senses are completely numb. It feels almost like time has stopped completely, including my own._

"_Can you hear me?" A voice suddenly chimes in. It's the voice of a young girl, such a familiar one too._

"_Who is it?!" I ask, somewhat on edge._

_The outline of a small figure suddenly appears before me, but I can't make out any details._

"_It's been a long time, hasn't it?" The voice giggles. Such a familiar laugh._

"_Could you be...?" The realization hits me full force. It couldn't really be __**her**__ could it?_

"_Yes. It's good to see you again." _

"_I can't believe it. Aren't you....dead?" Even I can find the disbelief in my tone._

"_For the most part, yes." Her voice sounds somewhat bitter. "But I can still manage to contact you, although I don't have much time."_

"_I'm sorry!" The thousands of ways I always wanted to apologize, and it still comes out as something so simple. "I let them kill you! I was so wrapped up in myself, that I didn't even think of saving you!" My voice quivers with raw emotion._

"_....It's okay. It wasn't your fault. You just found out that your wife died. You had every right to be distraught." Her voice is so sincere. "But we don't have time for these things. You must listen to me."_

"_Yes, I'll listen." I do my best to gather myself._

"_It's too late for me, but there is still something you can do. Something for me, and for all those who died in Hinamizawa."_

"_Papa? Are you okay?" Miyuki's voice suddenly rings in my ears._

"_We are out of time." The voice sighs._

"_What do I do then?" I ask. Desperate to know how to help._

"_You must find someone, a man. You've just met him recently. His name is..."_

"Maebara Keiichi!!!" I shout, suddenly bolting up out of my slumber.

"Ahh!" Miyuki falls off of me with a thud. "What was that all about? You looked like you were having a bad dream, and then you suddenly throw me off you? Are you feeling okay?" She looks at me with concern.

"There's no time right now! I remembered where I've read that man's name before! Remember the book that Papa helped make?" I ask.

"The one about that town?" She asks, eyes widening.

"Yes! He was one of the residents in the town! And I remember hearing on the news that he was the only survivor from the incident, but he fell into a possibly-permanent coma!" I shout, quickly changing into my regular clothes.

"Really?" Miyuki is beginning to look excited too, her small body trembling with excitement. "Are we going to go find that man?"

"You betcha! Now hop on! We're gonna run!" I kneel down.

"I'm too old for that stuff!" She frowns at me.

"No time, hurry!"

"...fine." She reluctantly climbs onto my shoulders.

"Let's go!" I shout, dashing out of the room, despite the strange stares I'm receiving. "We're going to check the hospital where he was admitted first, that should get some leads!"

"Slow down a bit!" Miyuki shouts, holding to my neck tightly.

"We don't have time for that." I grin, the adrenaline flowing through my body.

"Mamoru Akasaka is on the case!"

* * *

Da da da daa~ Akasaka's on the case! Whoosh! You know crazy stuff's gonna go down now!

Wow, this chapter came out a lot faster than I thought it would! Although this one practically wrote itself(for the most part). Was this chapter any good, or do I still need to work a lot harder? I'll work harder either way, it's just nice to know whether I'm doing things right or not.

Keiichi's part was a little difficult to write this time around, but Akasaka's seemed so easy. I guess I'm just more comfortable with happy settings, as opposed to the more action-ey ones. It was kinda fun guessing how an older Akasaka would act, but I think he ended up pretty nicely. I especially like the "doting father" bit of his personality, makes him lovable.

If you're wondering about the book that Akasaka mentioned I'll explain. It's a compilation of all the information on Hinamizawa, and the incident that happened there. He and Ooishi worked on it together(with the help of Miyuki of course!). The books title is the same name as the anime itself. If you want to know anymore, than I suggest you read the manga(shameless plug).

Now we're getting into the heavy stuff here. Some crazy stuff is gonna go down, and I hope it'll be able to quench the reader's thirst for excitement. If not.... then I'll have Keiichi fight a dragon or something(GODZILLA!!!).

Thank's for reading this chapter! Please drop a review in if you have the time, and I'll see you next time!


	4. Who was that?

Scenario #2: If I owned Higurashi, there would be a lot more anti-spirals, alchemy, and doom panthers(don't ask)

--

JapaneseRockerGirl: Thanks for the compliment! As for the Rika talks thing. I'm kinda of going for an importance of the soul thing. So basically, Rika can't move on until all the souls of the people of Hinamizawa are able to move on. So it's kinda like she's in a waiting room(with a limited number of phone calls) I suppose. But even though she's failed, she still wants her friend(s) to find happiness. Such a good girl. Thanks for the review! And I promise to update faster next time!

Cicada Of The Dark -SacredHero-: If people are kind enough to review, I figure I should always be kind enough to respond ^_^. No spoiling spoiler!(jk) But as for that matter, I was thinking so at first, but I kinda wanted to work it into the plot more, to make it more emotional. I'm glad this story is interesting to you. I'll work hard to keep it that way. Thanks for reviewing!

Tails-Coyote-Carnivore: I think you should grab some bedrest(although you probably have by now)! Akasaka will worry too if you don't stay healthy. Although I heard he has a healing punch..... Anyways, thanks for reviewing! Get well soon!

Choco-Kun: Akasaka hears your support, and gains 5 power, 6 speed, 3 useless trivia, 4 green, and 30 Miyuki love! The points don't matter but... it's the thought that counts! I'm glad you're enjoying this. Sorry for taking so long T_T. Next chapter will be out way sooner! Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"I'm home..." The words seem to echo forever in this place I once called "home". Except, this doesn't feel like home at all. In fact, I've never felt like this before. My skin feels cold and clammy, as if I'm deeply ill. My brain isn't seeming to register anything. With each bit of the town I take in, I feel as if I should be seeing something. Despite what I tell myself, I expect to see the farmers in the rice paddies in the distance. I expect to see the same gossiping ladies, talking to each other from the windows of their houses. I expect to see all the people that I knew, all smiling brightly like everybody always did.

But I don't.

Everywhere I look it's the same: nothing but desolate emptiness, dusty old buildings with vegetation growing over around them, dirt roads that look as if they've never been touched.

It's quiet, it's so quiet. But then why are my ears ringing. This pure quiet, it hurts my ears more than anything I've ever heard before. How the hell can silence be so loud!?

_It's not the silence, it's what the silence means. It's what it stands for._ The thought surfaces in my mind. This silence is reality, and now it's finally time for me to face it.

I shake my head quickly, trying to gather my thoughts again. I can't forget why I'm here, that's all I need to worry about right now. Regrets will only bring me problems. Once I'm done with all of this... I can regret my mistakes for the rest of my life. But not now, I have too much to do. The ringing in my ears stops, I'm ready to continue on.

I grab a few supplies from the bag, stuff them in my pockets, and grab the bat off of the ground. I wheel the bike in some nearby bushes as an extra precaution.

"Alright... time to get moving." I say to myself. I'm finally ready to get this all started.

After all the trauma I've gone through on the way here, the first step is surprisingly easy to take. The second follows smoothly, and before I know it, my feet are guiding me along one of the roads, as if I never left this place.

I look around constantly as I walk, taking in every sight there is to see. The rice paddies are gone now, covered by grass and weeds. The road is more dusty than ever, each of my steps send a cloud into the air behind me. The forest surrounding the town seems the same as ever though, I can even hear birds happily chirping(a very comforting sound) far into the dense brush.

I walk as quietly as I can, but not even I'm sure why. Everything seems so pristine, that I'm afraid that it'll shatter if I make too much noise. It's a ridiculous thought, but I still continue on in the same fashion.

It's not until I arrive there that I realize where my legs are taking me: the school building. The place where we were always together. The place where we shared so many of our happy days.

But it's not the same place anymore. Just like the rest of Hinamizawa, this place is dead.

The interior is just like the outside: covered in dust and abandoned. Most of the school books are stacked in neat piles(with a few scattered around), remnants of chalk dust still remain on some of the blackboards, and the desks are all in neat rows.

"How odd..." I mutter to myself, rubbing my hand back and forth across my old desk.

We would always press all of our desks together when it was time for one of our club's games. Whether I won or lost(I much preferred winning), I always had fun. We all had fun...

I turn to exit the room, but then stop mid-step.

"It's better like this." I smile, pressing all of our desks together.

I pause for another second, this time curiously. It might just be me hoping, but Satoko's desk just might be different than the others. But how is it different? Is there less dust? I can't be sure. But why do I suddenly feel so uneasy?

The feeling worries me too much, so I leave the school quickly.

My next destination is a bit further than the school was. I walk the distance as quiet as before, but even more aware this time. I'm not just taking in the scenery anymore. Every time I hear the rustling of a tree's leaves I quickly look around. But despite all my suspicions, nothing happens.

As I finally begin to approach my location, I breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe I was just being paranoid after all. I can't help but smile a little at where I am: My house.

It looks a little older(just like everything else here), but it's still my house without a doubt. It wasn't anything fancy, it didn't have a pool, but I was always content just living in this modest home.

"I'm home!" I boom, as I open the door, chuckling at my own stupidity.

Once again, nothing has changed here either. It's like I just got back from school, and everything's back to how it used to be. Dad would be either watching tv, or working on one of his latest "Masterpieces"(they all look like junk to me). Mom would have a snack laid out on the table, waiting just for me.

But they're not here anymore. No matter how much I wish for it, they're still gone.

I pause again, stopping to take off my shoes, but I stop. " How stupid. Nobody's here to scold me for not taking my shoes off." I chuckle bitterly, and feel a few tears run down my cheeks. I put my hand over my face, and grit my teeth. I don't know why I even bother hiding my tears, it's just what comes naturally for me.

I wipe away the remaining wetness, and glance out the window.

It's getting dark, the sun's nearly out of sight.

I finally realize how tired I am. I've been through so many stressing(both physically and mentally) today. "I should probably continue tomorrow." I muse to myself. "I wonder if my room is still okay." I shrug my shoulders, and head towards what I hope is a soft futon.

"Well... it's not too bad." I mumble, pulling my bed out of the closet.

My futon and cover seemed to have survived all these years just fine. They only need a light dusting, and they just look a little run-down. But it's better than nothing I suppose.

I lay out the bed, and get under the covers. My senses welcome the familiar sensation. I'm a bit larger, and the bed's a bit more worn, but it still feels the same to me.

I know that I should be more worried being in a place like this. I know I should think more of what I have to do tomorrow. I know that I should be thinking more about where Satoko could be. But my bed seems so familiar and welcoming, and I feel more tired by the second. And despite all that's happened, I drift off to sleep with ease.

But it **is** such a comfy futon.

--

"Huh? What do you mean he's not in?" I gape at the nurse in front of me, my mind not working at full speed.

I'm currently in a hospital room. Maebara Keiichi's old room to be exact. All of that running(including inside the hospital, which is why I'm currently being told off), and now I find that he's not even in right now! Why didn't I recognize his name earlier!? The nurse explaining Keiichi's whereabouts seems somewhat exasperated with me. My bad, I suppose.

Miyuki snaps me back to my senses with a sharp kick to the leg. "Oh right! Sorry." I apologize. "Well do you know when Maebara will be back?" I ask in my most official voice.

"Unfortunately, no." The nurse explains. "Apparently he's left without informing any of the hospital personnel."

"Do you have any ideas of where he might have gone?" I ask, praying for good news.

"Sorry." She shakes her head.

"Just perfect." I sigh, placing my hand on my forehead.

Miyuki pats my back sympathetically. What would I do without her?

"He'll turn up eventually." The nurse warms up to me slightly. "You can interview him then."

"What?" I'm taken aback at first. "Oh no! I'm not looking for an interview." I chuckle.

"Really?" She asks, eyes narrowing, disbelieving of my intent.

"See I'm more interested in trying to solve some incidents surrounding the town he's from." I explain quickly, making sure to leave out _which_ incidents I'm talking about.

"If you don't mind me asking: why?"

"It's more of a personal thing really. I've been there before, on official business, and I became friends with many of the villagers." I keep my perfect poker face on while I explain. I signal silently to Miyuki, and she quietly walks out of the room to go buy a couple drinks.

The nurse stares at me for a moment, silently debating with herself. She gives a sigh of resignation, and me a small smile. "If you want to find where he is, then your best bet is to talk to Dr. Miuchi. He was the only one who really got to talk to Maebara. He might know something."

"Really?! Thank you!" Finally! I'm one step closer now!

"But he's not on duty tonight. I can give you his address though." She quickly writes on a small piece of note paper, and hands it to me.

"Thank you for your time. I'll be leaving now." I thank her, and exit the room. I was really lucky to be helped like that. I'm glad to have met such a good person.

"Are we leaving already Papa?" Miyuki asks, bumping into me just as I get into the hospital hallway.

"Yeah... We've got a lead now." I clutch the paper tightly. It's possible now, it's truly possible to do what I hadn't even dreamed of: Solve the mystery of Hinamizawa.

"Ah, here's your drink." Miyuki hands me the drink(Oolong tea...again.).

"...Thanks." I mutter, grudgingly taking the drink. "Anyways, it's too late to go where we have to today, so we'll go there tomorrow." I take a gulp of the tea. "So, let's head back to the hotel for now."

"Let's have another round of Ping Pong then." Miyuki grins.

"No~ Papa can't take another beating like that." I moan. She may not look it, but my daughter's a demon at Table Tennis(Beautiful Daughter Charm #42!!).

"Tough luck! I bought drinks for you, so you do this for me!" She glares at me, daring me to disagree.

"Fine..." I sigh.

She smiles happily to herself, as we walk towards the exit of the hospital. "By the way, who was that lady?" She asks suddenly.

"Lady? The nurse?" I ask.

"Not the nurse! There was a lady who I saw walk away from the room you were in when I was bringing the drinks." She explained.

"I don't know what you're talking about. She probably just passed by." I explain.

"Oh..." She nods her head. "Too bad, she had the prettiest long blond hair I've ever seen."

--

Ah sleep is so nice~! My futon is so comfortable that all my worries seem to have left me. I could do this forev-."

**Thump! **A loud noise sounds from just outside my room. Accompanied with the thump comes the sound of someone hissing in pain.

"Who's there!" I jump up in a flash. My eyes are grit in a glare; mainly due to suspicion, partially due to crankiness(I was SO comfy!).

It's suddenly silent again, but there's a tension in the air. We both know the other is close by.

I creep towards my door silently, trying not to make a sound. Then, I change tactics, and hurl the door open. I don't see anybody, but I can hear running footsteps down the stairs. I chase after the sound(avoiding the trick step which I'm guessing led to the intruder's noise), sprinting as fast as I can. I grab my bat next to the open front door(I left the bat there when I entered the house), and bolt outside quickly.

I can see them now! Too far away to identify, but it's definitely a person!

Without a second thought, I chase after the figure, shouting at the top of my lungs.

"Satoko!? Is that you!!?"

* * *

Yay! It's done! Party time!

Sorry that took so long everyone.... It was really inexcusable. I was having writer's block, but not for the story... just for this one chapter actually. I was trying to keep it interesting, but without revealing too much. Plus it was just a lot of Keiichi moping, it's hard to portray anymore of that without sounding redundant. Or maybe it's just hard for me.... Anyways! The next chapter will definitely come out much sooner! I have a much clearer idea on what to do for it. Please look forward to it!

Akasaka is fun to do as ever.... Maybe I should make a comical misadventure series about him.... or maybe a mystery solving cartoon(free with talking daughter!). I'm thinking this Oolong tea thing's gonna be a theme. He doesn't dislike it, he just wants some variety. Maybe Miyuki's secretly punishing him? And what's with the beautiful daughter charms(rumor is that there's over 9000!)!?

Who was it that Miyuki saw!? It should be kinda obvious... but if not, you'll know soon enough! We're only a tiny bit away from the crazy stuff!

I hope this is still enjoyable to read, if not, I'll work even harder.

Please drop a review, they encourage me to work harder and faster, and I'll make sure the next chapter


	5. Escalation

The last time I said I owned Higurashi, Rena called me a liar.... after which I was quickly killed.

--

Tails-Coyote-Carnivore: Too bad~! I know how you feel though, I don't like Takano either. But we **need** an antagonist, at least for some of the story. =P to you to sir! I think this chapter's longer than the last one, but it's not _too_ exciting. Things will really pick up next chapter though. Thanks for reviewing!

Choco-kun: T^T Sorry but it is. And hurray for Satoko! *joins in dance* Really? She's one of my favorites too. And I always remember getting mad because other people who watched Higurashi usually didn't like her. Everybody seemed to prefer Rika so I was sad T_T. I'm glad you enjoy(ed) this story. Please look forward to the next chapter. And thanks for reviewing!

Cicada Of The Dark -SacredHero-: Bingo! I still remember going O_O when she shot Keiichi. Let's just say she was off my friends list after that(lol Myspace joke). Well don't worry to much, you'll see what kinda role she plays in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing -err sorta reviewing!

MerokoYui17: Well I'm glad to have a new fan, even if I don't really deserve one. Don't worry too much about writing. The only advice I can really offer is to read well written stories, and pay attention to how they're composed. I want to write more for Higurashi(A KeiRena to be exact), but I'm just not sure how to write it. Hopefully I'll have my answer by the end of this story. Thanks for reviewing! And keep practicing!

* * *

I can remember the day everything changed for me perfectly. Even after all of these years, it's still engraved in my mind.

_"Sato...ko." He speaks his last words as he begins to fall, his eyes locked directly with mine. He lets out a final scream as he plummets towards the river below. And then he's gone, swallowed up by the raging waters._

_I watch every moment of this without blinking, and continue to stare at where he disappeared from sight. I wait for what seems like hours. Or maybe it truly was for hours, I'm still not sure. I just stand there staring, daring him to somehow come back, that bastard! I need to make sure that I'm free of Oyashiro's curse, once and for all!_

_And another part of me fears that I may have mistakenly killed one of my closest friends. What a frightening feeling._

_But I know that it wasn't him, it wasn't Keiichi at all. It was Oyashiro! Oyashiro killed Rika! Oyashiro killed Irie! And it was Oyashiro who took over Keiichi and made him do terrible things! All of it was his fault!_

_And now it was finally over. Oyashiro could never curse anybody again._

_After what seemed like an eternity, I move away from the bridge. My feet begin walking without knowing their destination. Before I knew it I'm running, running away from Hinamizawa, from all that had happened. I'm not running away permanently, but I need to clear my head, to get away from all of this, even if it is for only a short time._

_I run and run, and I keep running until I stumble and fall. I hit the dirt below me hard, but the impact helps clear my mind of the panic. I spit out the dirt that has been caught in my mouth bitterly, finally regaining my wits. I lay there for a few minutes, just thinking about everything that had just happened._

_I grit my teeth, shut my eyes, dug my nails into the ground as hard as I can, and cry. All this sorrow and rage inside of me finally comes out. I don't have any clue what to do now, so much has changed in such a short time. How can I keep going without Rika, or Keiichi, or Irie? My life was hard even with them there to help me through it. How can I live it if they're not there?_

_"I'm sorry." I sob the phrase over and over again, sorry and frustrated that I couldn't help any of them. My fingers hurt from how hard my hands are clenching at the soil. For as long as I can, I just lay there and cry._

_When I finally get up, the sun's already almost gone down. I dust myself off and wipe my eyes roughly. As much as I'd like to just lay there forever, I have to get back home. Mion and Rena have probably heard about or seen Rika's body by now, I want to get through this with them. And I need to tell everyone about Keiichi... How he'd been possessed by Oyashiro...And how I'd killed him. My heart constricts painfully at that thought._

_I make my way back to Hinamizawa at a slower pace, feeling drained after all the events of today. Luckily enough I remember the way I took, and make few wrong turns. The sun disappears from sight after a while, but the moon is still bright enough to light the way back._

_I tense slightly as I approach the suspension bridge again. I hurry across it quickly, and avoid looking down at the river below. I don't want to see it, the place where it all ended._

_I suddenly feel worried as I approach the village, my stomach begins to feel queasy. I can't describe it, but it's just a gut feeling that something's wrong. I rub my hands together nervously, and I begin to walk as silently as I can._

_Suddenly I hear noise, lots of noise, it's some kind of commotion. Thinking quickly, I hide in some nearby brush, and look towards the noise._

What I saw is something I will never forget.

--

"Satoko! Wait!" I shout after the figure, I run faster than I ever thought I could. My lungs and legs ache from such strenuous movement, but I hardly even notice it.

The figure slowly grows closer as I begin to gain on it, but it suddenly darts into the nearby trees. I follow it blindly, running by the sound of their footsteps alone. The forested area is dense and difficult to run in, I get countless cuts and scratches from the bushes and tree branches, but I keep running.

The person I'm chasing fares much better than me. They dart between trees and through bushes like it's completely natural. They begin to put more distance between us.

I begin to panic as the person disappears from my sight. I sprint even faster than before, trying to desperately to find them.

Just when I think I can't run any longer, I finally see a clearing up ahead. I slow down to a walk, looking out into my new location. Before me stands huge mountains, but not natural mountains, man-made mountains. I recognize where I am instantly: I'm in the junkyard.

Huge piles of strange and broken items tower over my head. Discarded appliances, old rusted bikes, magazines, newspapers, all kinds of different items make up this strange place.

I look around quickly, trying to find the person from earlier. "Satoko!?" I shout, hoping for an answer, but no reply comes. "Damnit!" I curse, taking a swing with my bat in frustration. With no other alternative, I begin to search amongst the mountains of junk.

_Where is she? Where is she!? _The frantic thought pulses in my head mercilessly, as I run amidst these damn junk heaps. "Satoko!" I continue to shout as loud as I can, not even expecting an answer anymore. It all seems so hopeless, but I keep searching. It's all I can do. If I stop, I'm afraid of what might happen. This place is so nostalgic, but those memories are painful now! If I'm alone with nothing but those memories...! But no matter how much I search, and no matter how much I shout, nothing happens.

My lungs feel like they've collapsed, I've got no choice but to stop for a moment and breathe. I try to keep my eyes closed as I gasp for air, but they slowly are pried open by my own curiosity. Finally, with my will power gone, I gaze upon the junkyard.

As I had feared, I'm instantly hit by a surge of memories and emotions. This was Rena's favorite place in the world. I can't even remember how many times she would invite me here just to help her look for her so-called "treasures". There were times where she even convinced me that this was more than a junkyard. But now this place seems dead, Rena's light can no longer make it shine.

"_This is Rena's favorite place in the world: A mountain of treasure!"_

"_Keiichi look! It's Kenta-kun!"_

"_This rice-cooker is adorable!"_

"_I'm taking all of these home!"_

"_Thanks for helping me get all of this Keiichi."_

"_Do you really think all of this is just junk? I was hoping you'd change your mind after spending enough time here."_

"_Because...because I want you to understand how I feel about this place. I...like it when you come here with me."_

"_Do you understand now? Just because it's used up all it's worth in one person's eyes, doesn't mean it's worthless. There's more than just one use for everything. Not one object in this mountain isn't a treasure."_

The memories continue to assault my senses, each one feeling more like a physical blow than a mental one. I stand there silently, a hand over my face, my teeth clenched hard.

"Rena..." I give a stifled sob, trying my best to contain my emotions. I don't have time for this, I've got to find Satoko! But then why is it so hard to do that?

From the corner of my eyes I can still see all of the junk surrounding me, and it's suddenly too much.

"AHH!!" I shout, swinging the bat blindly into one of the nearby piles. Broken fragments of glass go flying in every direction. "DAMMIT!" I bellow, bringing the bat down onto a broken radio. My tirade throws debris everywhere. I kick, throw, and smash whatever I can get my hands on.

"**Yes, destroy all these bad memories. Destroy anything that has ever caused you pain."** The sinister voice echoes in my mind.

Almost instantly I loosen my grip on the bat and stop in mid-swing. "What....what happened?" I mutter slowly, clutching my pounding head, the bat falling to on the ground. I have no clue of how much time I spent smashing everything. All I know is that it had only seemed like a few seconds to me.

My head still keeps spinning, and I feel very dizzy. But at the same time, I feel better, relieved is a better word for it. A huge portion of all my regrets and sorrow had just disappeared thanks to earlier. I finally found some relief and solace through it.

_Through what? A violent rage? That's not the way I should be comforting myself._ The thought bites at me painfully, once again stirring up my worries.

"Just what was that?" I shake my head, trying to find an answer. I heave a sigh, falling back on the ground(rather painfully I might add). My body loosens up all over, exhausted from using energy it didn't know it had.

But before I can loosen up all the way, a sudden noise causes me to tense up. I remain as quiet as I can, listening carefully.

A rustling of junk slowly getting closer. Is it footsteps? Is someone trying to sneak up on me. And just as the sound is right next to me, it stops.

My legs kick off with all their strength, and I roll away quickly!

**Crash!** A bat crashes into the ground, right where I was laying seconds before!

Shards of junk cut into me, but it's not the time to worry about them. I bolt up to my feet, and whirl around quickly, and I gape.

Since waking up I've been doing nothing but thinking about this, about what it is I needed to do. I've gone over how it could go millions of times in my head. I've been preparing myself for failure, I've been preparing myself for success, but none of it does any good. I can do nothing but gasp out her name in the weakest of voices.

"Sato...ko?"

And from far off in the forest, the Higurashi begin to cry.

--

"Dinner's ready honey!" My wife's voice echoes pleasantly in my ears.

"Alright, I'll be there in a second!" I answer back, carefully leafing through the book I'm reading.

"Hurry up Daddy! Or there's not gonna be any left!" Nanako(my daughter) teases.

"Daddy will just have rice if that's the case!" I joke back, putting a bookmark on the page I'm reading, and shelving the book.

"I wonder if Keiichi's okay." I mumble to myself. It's a topic that's been on my mind ever since we parted ways. The town's supposed to be abandoned, yet I've got such a bad feeling about it.

I had been reading that book(Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni) to try and see if it could help me understand the situation of Hinamizawa anymore than what I currently know. But it's only increased my worries. The murders that occurred there, the dam protesters, the strange behavior in some of the residents; it's all so worrisome.

The sound of the doorbell reaches me before I can get to the kitchen. "I'll get it." I tell my family, before opening the door. Behind it stands a very beautiful woman with blond hair. She smiles at me kindly, but I only become uneasy.

"Hello." She says in a happy tone, perhaps too happy. "Are you Dr. Miuchi?" She asks.

"That's what I'm called at the hospital." I nod my head slowly. "But Kakeru Miuchi is the name I usually go by."

"Of course, of course." She continues to smile at me. "Now let me get straight to the point: Do you know where a Mr. Keiichi Maebara is?"

"If, you're with the media, then I have nothing to tell you." I frown at her. Could they really have found on where I live already?

"Oh no it's nothing like that." She waves her hand, her smile fades slightly.

"Either way, I have nothing to say to you. Good day." I begin to close the door.

"What a shame. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." She sighs.

Suddenly, I feel something cold pressed up against my stomach. A gun!? "What...?" I gasp.

"I'm really in a big hurry, so please tell me where he is." Her smile suddenly turns sinister. She looks...just like a demon.

"..." I remain silent, not wanting to betray Keiichi's trust.

"The foods just about gone Daddy!" Nanako's voice rings out.

My eyes dart nervously to the side at my daughter's words. Despite my best efforts, I can't hide the worry on my face.

The woman picks up on my emotions, and her smile broadens. "Not saying anything? Then maybe we should go ask your family." She grins, eyes darting towards her gun.

A horrible feeling washes over me, like I'm freezing and burning at the same time inside. My stomach feels nauseous at the thought of my family being killed.

"So...what do you say?" Her tone is full of mirth.

"....Hinamizawa. He went back to Hinamizawa." I mutter as quietly as I can.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" She removes the gun from my stomach. "Now as I'm sure you know, avoid saying anything, or I'll come back." She waves at me, before disappearing from my sight.

I collapse backwards onto my behind as soon as she's gone. "I'm sorry Keiichi." I apologize out loud, tears in my eyes.

"Daddy? Are you okay?" Nanako comes up to me slowly, worry in her eyes. She gasps when she sees the tears in my eyes. "It's okay daddy, I left food for you." She sniffles, thinking that my tears are her doing. "I'm sorry I made you sad."

In one swift move I grab Nanako and hold her tight, breathing a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, it's okay." I shudder slightly, not even daring to let her go.

* * *

Alright! There you go! This chapter is finally finished! Sorry for the wait!(Actually, this chapter was done yesterday, but the document manager was having some problems, today it's okay though.)

I was having difficulties at the beginning of this chapter. It was hard to have Satoko express deep emotion without it being too over-dramatic. But what is Higurashi without the drama? CSI? It all began to come together after a while though, and most of this chapter was done in one sitting.

I notice a lot of people don't like Takano. I don't like her either really, but we do kinda need antagonists in this story too. I did say this story would be different, so you have to take the bad with the good. Her input into this story should be very interesting. Expect it soon.

Poor Rena, her mountain of junk is so lonely without her. And now it just got beaten up too. We all miss you, hope to see you next story I write. By the way, should it be called junkyard, or dump, or junk mountain? I have no clue.

Satoko has finally appeared OMG! Now Keiichi can stop being so emo! Or maybe this is where he truly starts? Either way, much fun will be had with the chapters from now on. It's a lot easier to write when there's more than one character in a scene.

No Akasaka this chapter(Sad face!). But he'll be back next time! You can't keep him down for long. Akasaka Chop!!!

Miuchi was reading Akasaka's and Ooishi's book! How cool is that!?..... Yeah, I didn't really think so either, but at least it's something! Don't be mad with Miuchi though, he had to protect his family. What would you have done?

Anyone see the first episode of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Rei? Talk about being emasculated! And I had no idea that Tomitake was made of steel, but I did have a suspicion. Either way, it was a pretty fun episode. But where was that waterpark even located, was that in a neighboring town or what?

Please drop me a review, whether it be constructive criticism, or just telling me what you like, I'll enjoy it all the same. Plus, they prompt me to get off my lazy ass and get writing!


	6. Confrontation

If I owned....nope, I got nothing!

--

Tails-Coyote-Carnivore: Let's hope so! Mwee hee hee! Yes, I suppose drama is what makes Higurashi what it is. It wouldn't be very interesting without it right? Thanks for reviewing!

Cicada Of The Dark -SacredHero-: Well Satoko is rather athletic, so running comes naturally! Jokes aside, she's just got heavy mental distress, mainly due to what she's been through. And lucky for you, that meeting happens in this chapter! I just hope it doesn't disappoint you. Thanks for reviewing!

Choco-Kun: Don't worry, Miuchi's a tough man deep down, he'll take this no problem! Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Takano either, for obvious reasons of course. I'm glad you enjoy my writing, but I feel that I lacked something this time around, so I apologize. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

I stare at the man in front of me, now beginning to wish I hadn't shown myself, that I had just continued running. I feel intimidated, shaken by his sudden violent rage towards the junkyard. I clutch a bat I grabbed from one of the junk heaps tightly in my hands, hoping I won't need to use it, hoping he'll just run away.

Why did I come back? Even though I was so terrified of being caught. Why did I come back here to see him?

"Sato...ko?" He asks, his eyes wide.

I'm frozen where I stand. What do I do? What do I do!? My mind refuses to help, too busy with trying to remember this man in front of me. It's hard to think so deeply about this, I haven't had to think like this for years, and it's not easy to suddenly start now.

He puts his hand over his chest, trying to calm his breathing. "Is that you?" He speaks again, his breathing calmed. His leg twitches, maybe wanting to take a step forward, but unsure if it's what's right.

How does he know me? I've never seen him before, but he still looks familiar somehow! Something about him just seems so familiar! His face, clothes, even the way he talks seems familiar. So why can't I remember him!?

He takes a tentative step forward, his face concerned. "It's me Satoko... Keiichi."

Keiichi.....!? My mind, that was having so much trouble remembering, is suddenly buzzing with memories. The days in Hinamizawa when it was paradise, my friends who were always there for me, his angry face after falling into my traps, the cooking competition, ........and then him; falling off of the bridge into the river below.

"Remember?" He asks worriedly, afraid that I may have forgotten him. His expression is desperate, still believing that I have no idea who he is. He takes another step forward, his eyes look to the side for a second, noticing my bat.

I want to say something, to ask who if it's really him. I begin to lift my hand up, and begin to open my mouth to ask my question. And suddenly I see them again, those things from my darkest nightmares.

Those eyes.... those terrifying eyes! They stare at me with their large, narrow pupils, filling my entire body with fear. They're **his** eyes! They can only be **his** eyes!

This can't be Keiichi! Keiichi was possessed by Oyashiro years ago, even if he somehow survived the river, he'd still be under his control!

That means this is a trap! He's trying to trick me! To kill me! To take the only thing I have left in this world from me!

But I won't let him! I'm ready this time, and I won't let him have his way!

Without a second thought, I leap towards him, and swipe at him with my bat. He takes a step back, and falls over, just below the attack.

"What are you doing!?" He shouts, his eyes back to his old disguise, playing dumb to try to get my guard down! He shouts in surprise, and rolls out of the way, as I bring the bat crashing into the ground. "Satoko!" He shouts again, this time using his own bat to block mine. "Stop this!" He demands, narrowly dodging and blocking each attack.

Why isn't he attacking back? Is this some kind of trick? I won't let myself be fooled!

He trips again, this time it's in my favor. I swing the bat down, knowing he can't block with his bat in time.

**Crack!** A noise of metal hitting bone rings in my ears. Even though I'm trying to kill him, the sound makes me feel sick.

"AH!" He shouts in pain, clutching his left arm; which he used to block my bat. His expression is pained, it almost makes me worry, but I can't allow myself to be tricked.

"**Kill him!" **A voice in my head shouts.

I swing, this time landing a blow to his head, but he moves out of the brunt partway, so it doesn't hit him full force, and he falls to the ground. I feel reluctance, guilt even. I need to end this before my emotions get the better of me. He's just hoping that using Keiichi's body will work against me.

He lays there, shuddering for some reason, not paying me any attention as I walk closer. I can hear him speaking to himself, but I can't tell what it is he's saying.

I take a deep breath, and swing the bat again, hoping to finish it, but he suddenly darts out of the way, grabbing his bat in the process. I notice how his left arm hangs at his side now, blood slowly flowing from his fore-arm. I run forward, and swing the bat again. He blocks like earlier, but something is different now.

"**I said stop!**" He shouts, his voice fills my veins with ice. His eyes have transformed again, now leering at me angrily.

Suddenly the roles have changed, and I'm the one trying to survive, blocking one vicious attack after another. I can't think straight anymore, my fear blocking out all my senses. He notices my disposition and grins, swinging his bat upwards suddenly.

_No..._ The thought echoes in my head, as my bat flies out of my hands, and I fall to the ground.

He approaches slowly, neck craned over to look down at me. He stops when he is right in front of me, contemplating maybe, or just enjoying the moment. I hear a sudden gasp from him, and suddenly he moves forward.

I close my eyes, refusing to see him in my last moments. I may be about to die, but I won't let him have the pleasure of seeing the fear in my eyes. I silently wait for the blow...

But it doesn't come.

I feel his arm suddenly slide around me, and pull me into a tight embrace. His arm shakes heavily as he holds me. His breathing sounds different, and I think it might be his entire body that's shaking.

I open my eyes suddenly, unsure of what to think. His embrace feels warm, soothing, and familiar. This....feels right. It can't be **him** if it feels like this. Then....that would mean......no....it can't be.

"Keiichi?" It's the first time I've heard my voice in a long while, it sounds scratchy and underused.

I feel his head nod against me. I realize suddenly that his breathing is strange because he's crying. I can feel the lower-back of my shoulder being soaked with tears.

My body suddenly begins to shudder, and I realize that I'm crying too. "You're....You're really alive?" I ask, barely choking the words out.

He nods again, and his grip on me tightens. He's squeezing me so tight that my back is actually hurting, but I hardly notice it at all, the pain overpowered by emotion.

My arms slowly rise up, and hug him back cautiously, afraid he'd just be another illusion; another dream to wake up from. "I missed you." I choke out, sniffling slightly.

He tenses for a second in surprise, before answering back "I missed you too.". "Thank God...." He whispers in a tone of relief. He repeats it several times, never loosening his grip.

I'm not sure how long we remain there, silently holding each other, but I already miss the feeling when I reluctantly let go. "Keiichi.... Where have you been?" I ask, my curiosity finally overpowering my other emotions.

He gives the smallest flinch, before grinning at me and saying "Around." in a joking tone, one that I haven't heard in years.

"Now's not the time for jokes, idiot." I frown, wondering why he's trying to hide something from me. Even after all these years, I still remember how he acts when he's hiding something.

"Idiot? You'll hurt my feelings you know?" He jokes again. His personality hasn't changed after all this time. Well, maybe I'm the same as him, I feel my old irritation flaring up just like it used to.

"Ugh, it's just like you to act so childish at a time like this." I sigh in mock-scorn.

"I don't want to hear that from someone like you."

"Someone like me? What do you mean by _that_?"

"You _know_ what I mean." He grins at me, and I grin back; all of this feeling completely natural.

I notice that his breathing is beginning to get heavier again. "Are you okay?" I ask worriedly.

"Huh? I'm completely fi-..." His eyes suddenly widen, and he tilts back and forth dangerously. "Wha-?" He mumbles in a small voice, and suddenly he falls over forward.

"Keiichi!" I shout, quickly catching him in my arms. I look at him in panic, unsure of what to do. I notice that my left arm suddenly feels damp, and slowly move it from under Keiichi's head to examine it. I gasp, and my stomach suddenly feels queasy.

Blood, blood from a wound to his head; the one that I caused.

"K-Keiichi! Hang in there Keiichi!" I shout, trying to calm myself more than him. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It's just that I thought..... I mean you were.... I mean..." I try to explain my actions, even though I know he can't hear me right now.

"Sa...Satoko..." He mumbles quietly in his unconscious state.

I shake my head, now's not the time to panic. I support Keiichi with my right shoulder, and bring myself off of the ground. His body is heavy, but I manage to move him with enough effort. The walk feels like it takes hours, and each moment of it I spend hoping he'll be alright.

We finally reach his house, just as the sun disappears from sight. The door is still wide open, a lucky break from the chase earlier.

I lay him down gently on his bed, and bandage his head with shreds of cloth from his old clothing. I bandage his arm too, even though it's already stopped bleeding. I watch him for a few minutes, making sure there aren't any drastic changes. His breathing has calmed down, but his expression looks pained.

I worry about him needing food(it's a bit of a walk to where I keep mine), but I notice that his pockets actually have some food stuffed in them. I put all of the different foods in a stack right next to him.

"Really....trust you to keep your food in a place like your pockets." It would seem funnier if I wasn't so anxious.

Suddenly I realize that I'm the one who's hungry, not having eaten for the entire day. I try to focus myself, but finally break down; and reach into the pile to grab a quick bite. I go with a wrapped chocolate cupcake; something I haven't had for years, and it's very sweet.

With everything I can think of taken care of, I resign myself to watching Keiichi for the rest of the night. I take in every feature of his face, how he's matured since I last saw him. I stroke his hair whenever he looks worried, hoping to give him a pleasant sleep. Questions that I want to ask him swim through my head; where has he been, how he survived the fall, why he came back...maybe I want to ask that one the most.

My eyes grow heavy as I watch him sleep, and I begin to drift off as well. I curl up on the futon, which was surprisingly comfy, right next to him. My mind grows hazy, and everything slowly becomes dark. All of my thoughts fade away, and I let myself fall asleep next to him.

It is the best sleep I can ever remember having.

--

"Dr. Miuchi?" I ask, in a tone more worried then questioning. The man standing in the doorway in front of me seems strange, not very doctor-like at all. He's acting very suspicious, and it worries me.

"Y-Yes, that's me." He nods his head slowly, seeming out of touch with his surroundings. His eyes dart around occasionally, and he clutches at his chest unconsciously.

"Are you...okay?" I stare at him in concern.

"Wha? Oh yes I'm fine!" His voice isn't very convincing, and he avoids making eye contact with me.

"My name is Mamoru Akasaka. I'm here concerning a patient you had named Keiichi Maebara." I explain, afraid that I might have just reached another dead-end.

He suddenly snaps to attention, eyes now practically boring into me. "Keiichi?" He looks more worried than before.

"Yes, I heard from someone that you might know his current whereabouts." I speak in my most official of tones, one that I gained from my work.

"Whereabouts?" He repeats me again, and he seems as if he wants to say something. He gives his head the smallest of shakes, but I can see the resignation in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I have no idea where he might be now. He didn't tell me where he'd be going." His eyes avoid mine once again.

".....That's too bad. I really need to find where he is." I sigh, not really believing him. Is there anything I can do? Is this it?

"Are you done yet Papa?" Miyuki's cut voice chimes in from behind me.

"Didn't I tell you to wait in the car, Miyuki?" I sigh, turning to find her standing behind me. She bounces up and down on the balls of her feet, eyes slightly narrowed. I can tell it's not impatience that's making her so uneasy, I believe she's actually anxious for the same reasons I am. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"But Papa...." She whines.

I sigh and turn around to bid my goodbyes, but I notice a sudden change in Dr. Miuchi. His eyes stare down at Miyuki, in a sort of amazement.

"Dr. Miuchi?" I try to get his attention.

He snaps out of his trance suddenly. "I'm sorry, it's just that your daughter reminds me of my own." He gives a small chuckle, looking the most at peace I've seen him yet. He stares at me again, this time as if he's judging me. He smiles to himself, and calls out suddenly. "Nanako! Could you come here for a minute?!" He shouts.

"Yes Daddy?" A little blur almost instantly dashes to his side. A bright little girl stares up at me, before giving a small squeak, and hiding behind her father. She stares at Miyuki and me from behind Dr. Miuchi's legs.

I'm shocked by how much this child reminds me of Miyuki when she was younger, they're practically identical!

"Don't be rude Nanako. Say hello to Mr. Akasaka, and... Miyuki, right?" He asks, Miyuki nods her head in confirmation.

"H-Hello." The little girl gives a small bow, her face still apprehensive.

"Can you go and show Miyuki your toys for a second? Daddy needs to talk with Mr. Akasaka for a second." He kneels down and rubs her head lovingly.

"Okay!" The little girl beams, suddenly less withdrawn.

I give Miyuki a little nudge forward, and Nanako pulls her out of sight.

Dr. Miuchi watches them run off, before turning to me. "You've got a lovely daughter." He smiles.

"You too. She reminds me of mine when she was younger." I chuckle, wondering where he's going with this.

"I got the same feeling. That means she's probably a handful to raise, huh?" He asks cheerfully.

"Sometimes yeah. But I missed most of her younger years. My wife's parents looked after her mostly when she was younger." I sigh regretfully, still bitter when I think of all the moments I've missed.

"Really? Why is that?" He asks.

"Her mother passed away on the day of her birth." I explain.

"Oh....I'm very sorry." He apologizes regretfully.

"It's alright, I've learned to handle it." I chuckle bitterly. "She passed away while I was on a case, down in Hinamizawa, all because I wasn't there with her."

"...." He remains silent for a moment.

"Make sure you treasure your family." I advise, it seems strange to give advice to someone older than you. "Sometimes I dream of a world where I returned in time, and was able to save her, if only such a perfect world could exist." I shake my head sadly. "Oops! Sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that!" I apologize, embarrassed at my lack of manner.

"No, it's quite alright." He looks at me with some sort of respect or understanding in his eyes. "Forgive me for asking, but does that have anything to do with why you're looking for Keiichi?" He asks.

"To a certain degree, my wife would never forgive me if I didn't follow through with this, but I've also got other reasons for this."

"I see..." He pauses for a moment, utterly silent. "Hinamizawa....he went back to Hinamizawa." He suddenly explains.

"Wha-." I'm taken off guard by the sudden response. "Th-Thank you! But, why did he go back?"

"He went to search for someone who's body was never found during the incident: Satoko Houjou." He explains.

The name rings a bell, her parents were one of the deaths in the files I read!

"There's more to it." He leans closer, bringing his voice to a whisper. "He's in danger. He's not safe there!" His voice is wracked with concern.

"What do you mean?" I whisper back, suddenly feeling the gravity of the situation.

"I'm not entirely sure myself, but that woman can't be good news." His eyes shift around cautiously.

"What woman?" I ask.

"I don't know her name, but she asked for his location too. I didn't tell her at first, but...but she threatened my family. She had a gun! I didn't want to betray Keiichi, but...but." His fists clench and unclench.

"It's okay, you had to do what was best for your family. I'm sure Keiichi will understand." I think of my Miyuki and Yukie(my lovely wife), I would have done the same for them in a heartbeat.

"....Thank you." He smiles in appreciation. "If you're going to go after him, you should hurry, and you should be careful." He advises.

I nod my head. "Thanks, I'll be leaving right away then."

"I knew I was right to trust you." He chuckles. "I remembered your name from the book you wrote, but I still wasn't sure I could tell you."

"You read my book?" I ask in surprise, I don't generally get acknowledgment for that book.

"Yes, or most of it at least." He smiles.

"Then what was it that made you trust me?" I ask confusedly.

"Your daughter of course. Nobody who raises a child like that can be a bad person." He chuckles.

I blink in surprise, wondering how he could tell so much about Miyuki in such a short time. "But...how?"

"Don't worry too much. It comes with age." He smiles.

"Thanks again." I smile back. "Miyuki! It's time to go!" I shout.

"Coming Papa!" Miyuki shouts back, bounding over to me, Nanako tagging along behind.

"Can Miyuki come over again sometime?" Nanako pleads.

"I don't see why not." I chuckle, patting her on the head.

"Now say goodbye." Dr. Miuchi puts a hand on Nanako's shoulder.

"Bye-Bye~!" Nanako waves.

"We'll see you again soon." I smile confidently.

"I'm sure of it." Dr. Miuchi smiles back, before closing the door.

"Come on Miyuki!" I shout, scooping her up, and dashing towards the car.

"Whoa! What are you doing!?" Miyuki shouts in embarrassment.

"We've got no time to lose! We've got to make a quick stop to pick up an old friend, and then we'll drop you off at the hotel!" I explain, stopping near the car.

"What? Why can't I go with you?" Miyuki asks, slightly taken aback.

"It's going to be dangerous Miyuki."

Miyuki and I climb into the car. I quickly start up the engine, and pull into the street.

"But..." Miyuki looks at me pleadingly.

"I'm sorry Miyuki, I can't risk losing you." I look back at her, and smile. "Papa will be fine though, don't worry about me."

"But you have a hard enough time taking care of yourself normally." She says worriedly.

"It's okay Miyuki, I'll be fine. I promise."

"..." She doesn't respond, choosing to look out the window instead.

I sigh, deciding to leave it at that for now.

Hinamizawa, it'll all be resolved there, once and for all.

* * *

Another chapter is finished! Yay!

This one was a bit difficult to write, but I ended up enjoying it anyways. A lot of interesting stuff, and we finally are reunited with Satoko!

Fight scenes are hard to write, even if this was hardly a fight scene, you get the point anyways. I hope Keiichi doesn't get brain damage though, it'd be really hard to write for him after that! And it seems that Satoko is plagued with the exact same thing Keiichi is! Just what could it be!?

Akasaka finally has his heading! Let's just hope he moves fast enough to get there in time! Too bad he has to leave Miyuki behind, but he has to be a responsible father you know! As for this friend he's getting, well it's pretty easy to realize who it is, isn't it?

I'm having bad writer's block once again! I know what to do, just not how to do it! So frustrating! I need to find some way to be rid of it! Until then, I'll just do the best I can! Please bear with me!

Please drop in a review. I enjoy them very much, and if you have any tips they would also be greatly appreciated. Here's to hoping next chapter runs smoother! See you soon!


	7. Reconciliation

I'm Higurashi don't own.

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JapaneseRockerGirl: You want angst? I think I've got angst, but it's not the best I suppose. Yeah, I'd be worried for Miuchi too, who knows what could happen? Wish I could've updated sooner, but stupid things came up. Thanks for reviewing!

Anonymous: Thanks for enjoying this so far. .....Takano's the one with the gun, but man that'd be a twist if it was Satoko! Hm.....No! It's too late to consider that now. Thanks for reviewing!

James Birdsong: Thank you for the compliment. You're wonderful for reviewing!

Cicada of the Dark -SacredHero-: Hee hee hee. Someone's got a good eye for this stuff. Don't worry, there'll definitely be some action when these events reach boiling point. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Disappointing, how....disappointing." A sinister voice echoes through the eternal darkness that surrounds me. "You didn't do what I said at all, even though she was trying to kill you." The voice seems to click it's tongue in disappointment.

"..." I try to speak, but I can't. I can feel the darkness pressing in on me, constricting me completely.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The voice taunts me. "I thought you'd have a bit more courage, after you disobeyed me and everything, but what can you do?" An audible sigh sounds around me.

I feel my anger rise, I'm not even being taken seriously! "Who are you!?" I shout with my newfound voice.

"That's more like it!" The voice laughs again. "But I don't even really need to answer that question. I've always been alongside you Ke-i-chi." The voice mocks me again.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Now now, I can't give away _too_ much. Let's just say that my main concern is you, okay?" It says in a faux-happy tone. "That girl, you really should have taken care of her. For all you know she might try to kill you in your sleep."

"Girl? You mean Satoko?" I ask. "Why would I try to kill her? Just what did you try to make me do?!" I growl. When I lost control earlier, and nearly.....It was because of this voice!?

"Let's not dignify our enemies with names okay? She attacked us, so I attacked her." It says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Shut up! What the hell are you even talking about!?" I shout, enraged that something would take control of me. "What do you mean _I'm_ your main concern! Are you the one who's been messing with my head!? Answer me!" I roar.

And suddenly I feel it! The presence is even stronger than before! I can feel the darkness trying to smother me! My skin feels like it's being pricked with needles all over. Something's watching me! I know it!

"**Mind your mouth, Maebara Keiichi!"** The voice bellows, filling me with terror.

A humongous eye suddenly opens before me! It's beast-like pupil shakes as it stares at me. Others suddenly open all around me, each one staring directly at me! But the gaze goes deeper than that! I can feel it peering inside me! There's not a thing that I can hide from it!

"Do you understand now?" It laughs cruelly. "Your fears, your joys, even your thoughts..." It pauses in enjoyment.

I can feel cold sweat pouring down me, even though I know I'm dreaming.

"**I, see, everything."**

**--  
**

"Ah!" I bolt up suddenly with a small yell. I can feel real cold sweat now, brought around by the dream. My breathing spikes a little, I do my best to calm it down.

What...what was that? Was it really just a dream? It can't be, I've heard that voice before, and I've felt that sensation before. It has to be real!

My train of thought is broken by the tingling sensation in my arm. I look over, and notice that something is clutching it tightly. The room is dark, so I peer closer.

"Wha...Satoko?" I mumble, still not fully in touch with reality.

Then it all hits me: The chase, the junkyard, Satoko, the bat in her hand,....the fight. The memories surge back to me all at once, making my head spin with confusion.

I quickly glance around the room. Is it in here?! My eyes fall on it resting in the corner: Satoko's bat. Only, it looks different now, like any normal bat. It didn't look like that at the junkyard.

I shudder slightly, recalling that moment that I saw her holding that bat. The bat in her hands was familiar, far too familiar! I could see the bloodstains on it! The blood of that man! I could feel it to! The sensation of that moment! That had to be the same bat!

For just a moment, back when I saw that bat, I felt like I did the last time I held it: like a murderer; eager to kill. At that moment, I wasn't myself, I was dangerous, I was a monster, just from the sight of that bat.

I try to calm myself again. That's impossible, I threw that bat away. There's no way anybody could have found it! And the bat before me right now looks nothing like it. So why? Why did I react like I did back at the junkyard?

"What the hell's wrong with me?" I choke out to myself. And suddenly I can hear that taunting laugh again, mocking me.

I shake my head, trying to snap out of the trance I'm in. It doesn't matter what happened then, what happened after that is what I want to know.

I wince in sudden pain from both my arm and my head. I my head, causing both the arm and the head to suddenly hurt(the arm that Satoko has is the good one). I notice that they've both been crudely(and do I mean crudely) bandaged. "That's right...I passed out didn't I? And she must have taken me back here." I mumble to myself, staring at Satoko's sleeping form.

Her sleeping style is as bad as I remember. She's grabbing at my arm with both hands, but her legs are both sprawled out carelessly. Her mouth is wide open in an extremely crude manner, and each breath is quite loud and exaggerated.

"Wow...you really didn't change did you?" I sigh. I try to tug my arm away, but she refuses to let go. "What am I, your security blanket?"

In response, she holds my arm closer.

I sigh in exasperation, giving up on regaining my arm. I instead decide to observe her more, this time for her changes over the years.

Her hair is slightly longer, going about to the base of her neck, but it's uneven; she's probably had to cut it herself. Her face is more defined and mature, although I can still notice a hint of a fang in her mouth. Although she's gotten taller, she's still about a head shorter than me. She's wearing what looks to be just a plain, pale blue dress(a frock I think? It's been altered somewhat) that's a bit torn and cut around the sleeves and the bottom. Despite all her changes, she's Satoko without a doubt.

"You sure have changed, Satoko." I chuckle.

She stirs slightly at my laugh, and her eyes slowly open. "Kei...ichi?" She mumbles sleepily, before her eyes suddenly widen. "Keiichi!" She shouts, sitting up quickly. "You're okay!" She breathes a sigh of relief.

"Of course! Who do you think I am?" I chuckle. "Is my arm a teddy bear or something?" I tease.

She looks confusedly to my arm before giving a small, "wah!", and quickly letting go. "I-I Just have a habit of grabbing onto things in my sleep, that's all!" She stutters in embarrassment.

"Right, right. How ladylike of you." I smirk.

"Sh-shut up!" She stutters again. Apparently her personality has remained completely the same after all this time. She crosses her arms and looks away angrily, so I decide to stop the teasing.

"Did you take me all the way back here? And bandage me up?" I ask.

She looks at me for a second, before looking away with a small frown. "Yeah, after making you like this in the first place." She replies bitterly.

"It's okay, Satoko."

"How is it okay!? What if you had died!?" She shouts. "I'd be all alone again, and it'd be my fault." I can hear her sniffling faintly.

I put my good arm around her shoulder, and pull her closer. "It's okay, Satoko. None of that happened. I'm okay."

"...Really?" She asks, turning to me with tears in her eyes. She looks doubtful, like she believes that I might disappear at any moment.

"Really." I smile at her. "I'm not going anywhere."

She sniffles again, and wipes her tears with her hand. "Thanks, Keiichi."

"And thank you for taking care of me after that!" I grin. "Even if you did a terrible job with the bandaging."

"You could have left that part out." She mutters under her breath, I choose to ignore it.

We both fall silent, unsure of what to say to the other. There's a huge wall of tension between us, I can feel it, but I won't let that stop me, not after all this time.

"What have you been doing all this time, Satoko? Where have you been?" I ask, surprising her with the direct question.

"..." She's silent for a moment, her expression grows dark.

"It's okay Satoko, you can tell me." I reassure her.

"....I haven't been anywhere. I've been here all this time." She speaks softly. "I never left this village, I stayed here." She repeats, sounding disbelieving herself.

I remain silent. I don't think there are any words that are suitable for something like this.

"All this time....How long has it been anyways? I stopped trying to keep up with it after a while, it became too depressing." She looks at me half-hopeful, half-dreading.

"....It's been about six years, I think." I watch her closely, but her expression is unreadable.

"I see...Six years is a pretty long time, isn't it?" She chuckles loudly, but it sounds off somehow; like it's forced. "I never thought something like this would happen in six years. That this is how everything would turn out." She jokes bitterly.

I put my hand on her shoulder, "But there's still more time, Satoko." I smile, despite my own similar feelings.

She stares at me for a second, before nodding and smiling faintly, "Thanks, Keiichi."

"**Should you really be telling her words that not even you are sure of?" **The voice laughs, and I freeze in shock.

"Keiichi?" Satoko looks at me with concern. She cautiously taps me on the arm, snapping me out of my daze.

"...Sorry." I mumble a quick apology, quickly trying to quell my fear.

She stares at me for a second, looking as if she wants to say something, but simply shakes her head instead. "Anyways, I'm sure you're wondering, wondering why I'm still alive, right?" She asks.

"Well, yeah." I admit, thankful not to be the one who brought it up.

"After....the bridge where....you know." She does her best to avoid a certain sore subject. "After that, I ran into the forest away from Hinamizawa. I don't know why even today, but I just needed to get away after....after all of that." She avoids eye contact, opting to look at anything in the room besides me. "After I managed to calm down, I came back. And...and..." She dies off slowly, and her hands grasp the hem of her dress tightly.

"You don't have to tell me right now. It's okay." It looks too painful for her to continue. I want to know so badly, but I don't want to cause her pain anymore. If it's for her sake, I'll be willing to wait.

"No!" She shouts suddenly, surprising me. "I _want_ to tell you." She explains, her eyes pleading. "I'm okay now, see?" She puts on a rather forced-looking smile, but I decide to let her continue anyways.

"Okay, but I'll stop you if I think it's right." I warn.

She gives me a look of gratitude, and begins to talk again. "When I came back, everything was already over." She speaks each word slowly, but firmly.

"You mean...?" I ask, feeling the hope in the pit of my stomach fade.

"Yes, everyone was already dead, and I think they had been for a while already. There were already people taking away all the bodies; ambulances, police cars, all sorts of official vehicles." She explains, trembling slightly. "It was awful....seeing the twisted faces of everybody....it was too much." She grasps for the right words. "That, with everything that had already happened, was more than I could handle." She gives a visible shudder. "I think..." She pauses, and takes a deep breath, "I think I might have gone insane that day."

"Insane? What do you mean?" I ask.

"I stopped thinking altogether, and I blamed all of it on Oyashiro. He was out to get me, and it terrified me." She explains slowly. "But....Hinamizawa was the only thing I had left in the world, the only thing he hadn't taken from me. I couldn't abandon it, or I'd have nothing left!" She looks to me, begging me to understand her feelings.

"So you stayed." I nod my head.

"Yeah...it was all I could think of doing." She seems frustrated with herself, angry at her past foolishness.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You were strong enough to overcome it, you just needed some help." I tell her, amazed at how she could live here for all this time. I personally think I wouldn't have made it, but you never know I suppose.

"Then I'm glad it finally came, even if it took _years_." She mock-glares at me. "What have you been doing all this time anyways?" She asks suddenly, setting me up with a curious stare.

I knew this question would come up eventually, but I was still hoping it wouldn't by some chance. Satoko's a good girl at heart, I didn't want to make her feel guilty, but I really can't lie my way out of this. "Well..." I begin slowly, hoping for some sort of distraction to come up. When one refuses to surface, I have no choice but to continue. "After I fell into the river," I explain, making sure to use the word "fell", "I guess I washed up on a riverbank somewhere. I was taken to a hospital, and I recovered there." I finish, leaving out a key detail.

"..." She's silent, staring into my eyes suspiciously. Despite my efforts to conceal it, she knows something's missing. "Why did it take you so long to come here?" She asks, not missing a beat.

"I like to procrastinate?" I feebly joke.

"Keiichi....How long were you in the hospital?" She asks in a deathly-calm voice.

"....I was there until just a couple days ago. I've been in a coma all this time." I finally admit.

"...!" She's completely silent, other than a small hitch in her breathing.

"Are you okay, Satoko?" I ask. Her silence gives me the impression that she's angry with me.

"I'm sorry." She apologizes suddenly, proving my fears wrong. "I did such a horrible thing to you, and you didn't deserve it, did you?" She speaks in a strained voice, head turned towards the ground. "You didn't kill Rika did you? You were never possessed by Oyashiro were you? You didn't actually do anything to deserve the terrible thing I did to you, right?"

".....No. At least, I don't think so." I answer. "But I'm not sure. I thought I killed your uncle, remember? And those deaths, the ones that I wished, what if they're really my doing?" I ask, feeling old fears resurface in the pit of my stomach.

"I know those deaths weren't your fault. I think that I've known that for some time now." She says slowly. "But that means that you've suffered for no reason, and it's all my fault." I can hear the sorrow in her tone. "People always suffer because of me. Rika, Nii-Nii, and even you have all suffered because of me."

"You know that's not true."

"Isn't it!? If I wasn't so stupid, you wouldn't have had to go through what you did!" She shouts. I see a few tears fall to the ground.

"If you didn't push me, then I wouldn't have been alive today, and you wouldn't have either." I pull her close to me again, holding my proof closely. "Despite what we've been through, we're still alive. And it's all thanks to you." I smile as I pull her trembling head against my chest.

"Thank you." Her muffled voice shakes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..." She continues on repeatedly.

I just keep smiling, holding her tightly, and stroking her hair gently.

"No. Thank _you_, Satoko."

--

"We're almost there..." I mutter to myself absentmindedly.

The van bounces up and down slightly on the old road. It's rather annoying, being jostled constantly over every little pebble.

I twirl a lock of my hair angrily. "Can't this thing go any faster!?" I shout at the member driving the van.

I see him give a small jump. "It'd be dangerous on a road like this." He explains nervously.

I consider it for a second, and decide to resign the idea of tormenting him for pleasure. "...Fine." I sigh. I choose instead to occupy myself with the objective at hand. I can feel my blood rushing faster at the thought of finally accomplishing my true goal. "Keiichi Maebara...." I mutter to myself quietly.

To think that all my years of effort will finally bear their fruit, it pleases me to no end. This time it I won't there won't be any small oversights. This time I'll make sure of it! This time...!

I'm stopped by a sudden jolt of pain. I look down at my hands. I've pressed my nails to tightly into my palms, and blood slowly flows from the wounds.

I give a small sigh, and lift my hands up. The twin crimson streams each have an eerie kind of beauty as they run down my palms. I bring them closer, and quickly lap the warm stream from each. The taste is like copper, but not awful I suppose.

The van gives another small hop as it hits a bump, causing me to growl angrily. I can't believe that I have to make due with such worthless things. Even the number I control, the Yamainu, have diminished by a large number. But as soon as I get what I need, I'll never have to worry about problems like this ever again.

I won't let him slip away. I'll get what I need done, no matter what I have to sacrifice.

"I wonder if that old fool told the police about me." I chuckle to another member. "That would certainly be a problem."

"Our surveillance unit hasn't noticed anything particularly unusual." He sharply responds. "Only one person has stopped by, and he only seemed to be bringing his daughter for a play-date."

"Surveillance unit? How can you call just one member a unit?" I groan, bringing my hand to my forehead in exasperation. "For all we know, that man could have been with the police." I glare at him. ".....No matter," I sigh, "If he _did_ tell the police, we'll find a way around it." I pause for a moment. "Maybe it would be best to take him out anyways, so we can be fully assured." I suggest.

"We don't have radio contact at the moment, but as soon as it's established, I'll send the word out." He answers sharply again, giving a quick salute.

"Good..." I press a hand to the glass of the window, and stare out at the familiar foliage passing by.

"I've become something not even human. Haven't I, Jirou?" I smile to myself bitterly.

* * *

Finally! It's Finally done! I'm really sorry people!

I had a few distractions as usual in writing this chapter, but there was a bigger problem overall. I spent a lot of time just studying the series, so I wouldn't mess up on too many areas. It wasted way too much time though, so in the end I just said "Screw it, **I'm** the one writing this story!" So I don't think I'll have to deal with that problem ever again.

Keiichi and Satoko finally have a peaceful moment together, good for them huh? If only Keiichi wasn't injured. Well it's not that bad in the first place, so whatever.

Takano's evil. Yep, definitely evil. Let's hope Dr. Miuchi can get away from this unscathed! Takano's last line shows some regret though? Is she completely evil? Or does she have some compassion deep down?

Please drop in a review, the ones this time brought me back from my slump, so they're always a big help. And I hope to see you all next time, which will be much sooner. And again, sorry.


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